Posts filed under 'Meal Planning'
There were no really highlights this past week — I loved the Mushroom, Barley & Lentil Stew the first night we ate it, but I liked it less as leftovers and J. was way less enamored of it than I was. We’ll see how it is this week, defrosted from the freezer and reheated. I also tried a yeast bread for the first time, with modest results. The Pumpkin Dinner Rolls were just OK, and would have been better if I’d made them with all-purpose flour rather than whole wheat (my own fault, not the recipe’s). Finally, my Unstuffed Cabbage this time around was also just alright. It was definitely a week that reminded me it’s not about making some gourmet, delectable feast every night — my success is just in providing a homemade, healthy meal to my family.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and this whole week leading up to Thursday will be special — my sister is in town, the boys are having special holiday events at their schools, and I am sure to hear more renditions of “Aren’t You Glad You’re Not a Turkey?” than ever before. We’re having 17 family members here this Thanksgiving, which makes me feel honored and blessed.
To make my pre-Thanksgiving preparation a little easier and to clear out some space in my tiny fridge, we’re eating from our stock of frozen meals this week (I’ve built up quite a bit of variety in there!).
Monday: Mushroom, Barley & Lentil Stew (freezer), Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (freezer), steamed carrots
Tuesday: Vegetarian Navy Bean & Kale Soup (freezer), cheese, French rolls (Alexia brand)
Wednesday: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos (freezer), garden salad, rice
Thursday: Thanksgiving! (here is our menu)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: We’re having friends over during the day, but I haven’t figured out what to cook yet. Lasagna? Enchiladas? Or just assorted finger food?
Sunday: Take out
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
November 23rd, 2008
Another super-simple week. My menus have been feeling a little repetitive, but the boys are eating (for the most part) so I’m not complaining. We have no farm share pick up this week, so I have some wiggle room in incorporating last Wednesday’s shares into this week’s meals.
Monday: J. and I are at a cheese tasting; boys eat with grandparents
Tuesday: Whole wheat spaghetti & meatballs in sauce (from the freezer), steamed carrots
Wednesday: Chicken soup with noodles (make a new batch), edamame
Thursday: I’m out to dinner; pizza for the boys
Friday: Roasted chicken with parsnips, carrots, and onions, challah
Saturday: Leftovers or eat out/take out
Sunday: Winter Lentil Soup (thanks for the recommendation, Heather!), Italian bread or rolls
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
November 9th, 2008
This past week my goal was to lighten my dish-washing burden for a bit, and that led to another bonus I didn’t expect: I only went to the supermarket once, since I was using a lot of food from my freezer and farm share. I really enjoyed not having those almost daily quick trips in my schedule. Even though I plan my meals a week in advance, I wind up popping into the supermarket near G.’s school all the time to grab an item or two. I don’t really mind it, except that it’s just another errand to run in the short time the boys are not with me.
Also this week, my mom and I enjoyed the Vegetarian Navy Bean & Kale Soup, while the Triple Tomato Sauce with Ziti was a hit with J. The Baked Sweet Potato Fries were also yummy, though the boys wouldn’t try them. They may make a nice side for Thanksgiving, though.
We have a lot of planned eating out this week, which I’m looking forward to both for the respite from coming up with a dinner plan, and for the good company I’ll be keeping!
Monday: Roasted chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Kale, carrot sticks
Tuesday: Savory Carrot & Tarragon Tart (I’ll make a crustless version), broccoli rabe in garlic and oil, rolls
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: I’m out to dinner; eggplant parm (using Dominex eggplant cutlets), spaghetti, farm veggies for everyone else
Friday: Dinner out in the city with J.; order in pizza for the boys
Saturday: Nothing! Everyone is someplace else
Sunday: Barley Risotto with Chanterelles (intended to make this months ago but never did), farm share veggies
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
November 2nd, 2008
Right now, my kitchen counters are scrubbed clean and there isn’t a single pot, pan, or dish that needs my attention. I feel the need to mention it because it’s become somewhat of a rare occurrence — I’ve been feeling beaten down by dirty dishes lately! So, this week is going to be simple, using a stockpile from my freezer to keep the number of pots and plates to a minimum.
In addition to the dinners below, I’ll make a batch of PB & Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins this week, too.
Monday: Meatballs in tomato sauce (homemade, from the freezer), whole wheat spaghetti, carrot sticks
Tuesday: Bean Soup with Kale, Italian bread
Wednesday: Chicken salad (defrost cooked chicken from the soup I made last week), bagels, edamame
Thursday: Chicken soup with noodles (from freezer), sweet potato fries
Friday: Halloween! Yogurt, grapes, and challah
Saturday: Triple-Tomato Penne with fresh mozzarella, farm share veggies
Sunday: Some sort of soup and bread, depending on what we get from our farm share (squash soup?)
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
October 26th, 2008
I had my plan finalized in my head by Sunday evening, even though I’m only posting this now!
Monday: Ropa Vieja (crock pot), brown rice (yum — it was delicious as always)
Tuesday: Leftover Ropa Vieja, sauteed greens, roasted fennel, whole wheat egg noodles
Wednesday: Chicken soup (make a new batch in crock pot), challah rolls, sugar snap peas
Thursday: Chicken Tikka Masala (using an Arora Creations spice mix), farm share veggies, brown rice (or noodles for boys?)
Friday: Baked chicken drumsticks, farm share veggies, challah
Saturday: Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, farm share veggies
Sunday: Take out
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
October 20th, 2008
I stumbled through this past week, feeling like I’d barely been in the kitchen. But when I look back, I see that most everything I planned did get cooked, just not when I’d expected.
Did you see my revised recipe for Bunny Muffins (carrot & chocolate chip)? I cut down on the oil and added applesauce while increasing the carrot, and I was happy with the results this time. The boys have been asking for more!
My Bok Choy & Tofu Stir Fry was just OK, I might make it again if I got more bok choy from my farm share, but I wouldn’t buy some in the store to do so. The Roasted Kale was crispy and salty and good enough to try again, but only if I had more people eating dinner with me that night — it doesn’t keep well and was way too much for two adults (the boys wouldn’t try it).
I was really tempted to order take out again tonight, but I’m glad we stuck to the plan and had Slow Cooker Ratatouille over whole wheat spaghetti instead. I had forgotten how delicious that recipe is! Definitely try it if you are looking for a vegetarian crock pot recipe.
Monday: Oven-fried chicken breasts, sauteed greens (braising, collard, spinach), beet salad, rainbow elbow noodles
Tuesday: Eat out or leftovers/pantry
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner: pancakes and fruit
Thursday: Acorn Squash Lasagna (I’ve made this before, pre-blog), greens, rolls
Friday: Chicken soup (from freezer) with noodles, challah, farm share veggies
Saturday: Take out
Sunday: Skirt steak (grilled if weather is nice otherwise in the crock pot), baked acorn squash, other farm share veggies
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
October 12th, 2008
I used to be able to cook dinner in the early afternoon, as the boys were relaxing and playing after lunch, but that block of time just doesn’t seem to exist anymore. I find I need to either cook in the morning (I did that Friday, with the chicken sausage that I sauteed with peppers, onions, and eggplant), have something in the crock pot, or make something that can be prepared in about 15 minutes, because I hate to leave a play date or the playground early just to get home to make dinner (Shannon and I were just e-mailing about this). I guess we’re all still adjusting to our new fall schedules.
This week I’m relying on food from the freezer as I prepare for a busy weekend ahead. I’m looking forward to seeing some of my extended family for the holiday!
Monday: Rosh Hashanah dinner — I’m bringing Collards, Golden Raisin, and Almond Saute and roasted delicata squash rings with maple syrup
Tuesday: Rosh Hashanah dinner — I’m bringing honey cookies
Wednesday: Curried chicken salad with grapes, challah rolls, crudite (chicken is frozen from last week’s chicken soup)
Thursday: Chicken Castillo (from the freezer), whole wheat spaghetti, sauteed greens
Friday: Homemade chicken soup (in the crock pot — cook on high for 6 hours), challah, farm share veggies
Saturday: J.’s Favorite Goulash (from the freezer), whole wheat egg noodles, farm share veggies
Sunday: Take out
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
September 28th, 2008
Laura has declared this week to be a “Family Favorites” edition of Menu Plan Monday, and the two meals I cooked late this past week fit the bill: Chicken Castillo and J.’s Favorite Goulash (a crock pot recipe). Chicken Castillo is my mom’s recipe, which I always enjoyed growing up and I’ve now passed on to my friends. J.’s Favorite Goulash is, as the name says, my husband’s favorite meal. (If you’d like to know how to make plain pasta, then I can share the boys’ favorite meal as well.)
This past week I also really enjoyed the Spicy Green Bean & Tofu Stir Fry I tried for the first time. It’s definitely a meal I’ll make again. And I finally posted about the delicious Rolled Turkey Breast Stuffed with Swiss Chard & Garlic, which I made several weeks ago.
It was a good cooking week. My freezer is stocked with several meals worth of food, which feels right now that the weather is getting cooler. This week will be lighter cooking-wise, with the highlight of the week being Thursday, when my sister visits!
Monday: Leftover chicken soup, noodles, roasted beets
Tuesday: Scrambled eggs with sauteed eggplant, red pepper, & onion, bagels, garden salad
Wednesday: Leftovers or choose from the fridge (yogurt or cheese, crackers, fruit)
Thursday: Spinach Burritos with Salsa Verde, brown rice, tomato salad
Friday: Spicy chicken sausage with peppers & onions, whole wheat pasta, salad
Saturday: Take out
Sunday: Barley Risotto with Chanterelles, farm share veggies (+ corn on the cob option for the boys)
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
September 21st, 2008
My mom made fantastic baked chicken Friday night — the skin was crispy, not greasy, and the chicken was really moist but clearly cooked through. My chicken-baking skills are nowhere near as good, unfortunately — I remain a little panicked about under-cooking, yet I hate dry, overdone poultry. So when I bake my chicken this week I’m going to do just what my mom did Friday: lightly spray the bone-in chicken pieces with Pam, sprinkle on lots of herbs and spices, and bake at 375° for an hour to 70 minutes. We’ll see how it works in my own oven.
This week I’m recommitted to including one item in each meal that I know for sure the boys will eat. I served a couple of meals without an obvious “kid” component — such as Spicy Chickpeas & Beef with Lemon Squash (with no pasta or similar on the side) — this past week and I wasn’t happy with the results. A. was willing to at least take a teeny-weeny taste of squash and “earn” a different dinner (some cheese and crackers). G. is my stubborn sweetie, though, and no amount of cajoling could convince him to sample even a “mouse-sized” bite of dinner. So he went without. There were no tears, he was clearly not very hungry — I would not withhold food from them just to prove a point! He just accepted the conditions with a little complaining, and then told us he was all done. I refuse to spend dinner talking about eating dinner, and doing so goes against my overall mission, which is to raise my children with a healthy attitude about food. So each meal this weeks includes a bread or pasta. I hope we can get back to the importance of family conversation around the dinner table, and get the focus off the actual food. I continue to hold out hope that exposing them to a wide range of foods, and having them see me and the rest of the family enjoy them, will eventually win them over to at least trying something new.
Monday: Stir-Fried Tofu and Green Beans in Hot Sauce, whole grain udon
Tuesday: Oven-baked chicken, Bean & Tomato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette, challah rolls
Wednesday: Whole wheat pasta served with sauteed greens (braising and arugula) and tomatoes in garlic and olive oil, fresh Parmesan
Thursday: Egg salad, sliced cheese, bagels, garden salad (and plenty of sliced tomatoes, too!)
Friday: Chicken soup, farm share veggies, challah
Saturday: Take out
Sunday: J.’s Favorite Goulash, whole wheat egg noodles, roasted broccoli
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
September 14th, 2008
I’m back in the habit of cooking, though not updating this site, it seems! We had a good, healthy week eating mostly home-cooked food which was honestly a relief from all the take out. (I’m all for letting someone else do the cooking, but when that becomes the default I think it loses its luster.) I baked chicken drumsticks twice this past week because G. was so enthusiastic about them. He calls the drumsticks “big chicken.”
We had two CSA-centric meals this week that used up all my produce. On Thursday, I made an awesome rolled turkey breast stuffed with sauteed swiss chard, garlic, and breadcrumbs. I served corn on the cob and a simple tomato salad with it. Then tonight we had family over and used up the rest of the tomatoes, all the lettuce mix, the eggplant, some garlic, herbs, and the broccoli. I just have some potatoes (maybe I’ll mash them tomorrow) and a couple of Carmen peppers kicking around.
Finally, I have a small milestone tomorrow: I’m packing A.’s lunch for his first full day of kindergarten! He has requested bow tie pasta (we have a Thermos), shredded mozzarella, and a banana chocolate chip mini muffin for dessert (I baked them today using my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe — I was able to pack four medium-sized bananas in there). I’ll also include water and some red pepper rings to balance it out. For morning snack, he is taking a milk box and a slice of watermelon. Somehow, I’m finding packing this first lunch to be much more emotional than sending him off for his first day.
I’m only going to plan weeknight meals this month, since our weekends are busy with travel, parties, and other events that will necessitate more on-the-fly meal decisions.
Monday: Leftover turkey meatballs, whole wheat pasta or mashed potatoes, salad
Tuesday: Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas, Beef & Cilantro, brown rice, roasted zucchini
Wednesday: Baked chicken drumsticks, whole wheat egg noodles, edamame & red pepper rings
Thursday: Something with chicken breasts (I have a lot in my freezer) and farm share veggies
Friday: Dinner at my parents’ house
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: TBD
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
September 7th, 2008
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I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .